By Joseph B.A. Marzan
The top official of Barangay Calumpang in Molo, Iloilo City on Tuesday belied claims that a couple from Cebu who was infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) violated home quarantine protocols.
Barangay Captain Roberto Niño said in a radio interview that the claims against the couple were all “made-up stories.”
Niño was referring to two Locally-Stranded Individuals (LSI) who returned from Cebu on June 17, 2020. The couple proceeded to the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Mabini Street, City Proper for COVID-19 testing.
They yielded negative results in their rapid antibody tests but they underwent confirmatory tests using the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method then headed straight to their house for quarantine while awaiting the results.
The positive result was released on June 22.
Niño explained that he calls LSIs before they even arrive in the city to explain the protocols.
He added that the village’s Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) are actively monitoring all LSIs.
“Every time an LSI returns, we call them immediately, even if they haven’t arrived in the city. The operations center provides us with their contact numbers, which we call as soon as we receive them. I personally call [the LSIs] to clearly explain and help them understand the protocols to be followed. The BHERTs are actively monitoring through call and text,” Niño said.
The village chief said that he was already informed of the couple’s arrival on June 12 by the operations center at the Iloilo City Hall, and immediately called one of them afterward.
“Before they arrived at Barangay Calumpang, we already received information from our Operations Center of the City Health Office that LSIs will be arriving. This is one of the protocols being followed by our city government so that the respective barangays would learn any information about their LSIs. We received the information on June 12, and immediately we called the LSIs through mobile phone and we explained the protocols and procedures which would be followed when they arrive. It was cleared with him,” he said.
Niño quickly dismissed reports that the couple violated their home quarantine rules.
“The information that they violated home quarantine rules, these are just stories made up by other people. You know how quick it is to make up stories. But based on our daily monitoring and personal gathering of information from our LSIs, they are staying in their room inside the house,” he said.
Niño also dismissed rumors that the barangay will be placed under heavier lockdown, and chided those who kept spreading false information.
“That’s what we’re asking from our residents. We’ve already gone around to dismiss the fake news that Barangay Calumpang will be placed under lockdown. That’s not true. The only things which should be placed under lockdown are the mouths of the gossipmongers who are very fond of spilling false information around. We are on the top of the situation, everything is under control, and our BHERTs and the City Health Office are doing their part to implement precautionary measures, most especially contact tracing,” he said.
The LSIs were fetched by an ambulance at around 5 p.m. Monday and taken to the city government’s designated quarantine facility.
Their immediate family are also under strict home quarantine and will undergo RT-PCR testing today, June 24.
They were provided with food packs good for two days, and the barangay has likewise taken the task of buying their necessities, placing them in a chair set in front of the house.
